The Story of the Workers in the Vineyard
1“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard.
3“About nine o’clock in the morning he went out again. He saw others standing in the market doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard. I’ll pay you what is right.’ 5So they went.
“He went out again about noon and at three o’clock and did the same thing. 6About five o’clock he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard spoke to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay. Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.’
9“The workers who were hired about five o’clock came. Each received the usual day’s pay. 10So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day’s pay. 11When they received it, they began to complain about the owner. 12‘These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said. ‘You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’
13“The owner answered one of them. ‘Friend,’ he said, ‘I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? 14Take your money and go. I want to give the one I hired last the same pay I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’
16“So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death
17Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took his 12 disciples to one side to talk to them. 18“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said. “The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. 19Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles. The people will make fun of him and whip him. They will nail him to a cross. On the third day, he will rise from the dead!”
A Mother Asks a Favor of Jesus
20The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus. Her sons came with her. Getting on her knees, she asked a favor of him.
21“What do you want?” Jesus asked.
She said, “Promise me that one of my two sons may sit at your right hand in your kingdom. Promise that the other one may sit at your left hand.”
22“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup of suffering I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23Jesus said to them, “You will certainly drink from my cup. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those my Father has prepared them for.”
24The other ten disciples heard about this. They became angry at the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together. He said, “You know about the rulers of the Gentiles. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. 26Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. 27And anyone who wants to be first must be your slave. 28Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight
29Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho. A large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the side of the road. They heard that Jesus was going by. So they shouted, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
31The crowd commanded them to stop. They told them to be quiet. But the two men shouted even louder, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and called out to them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want to be able to see.”
34Jesus felt deep concern for them. He touched their eyes. Right away they could see. And they followed him.
葡萄園工人的比喻
1耶穌接著說：「因為天國就像一個園主清早去外面請工人到他的葡萄園做工。 2他跟工人講好一天的工錢是一個銀幣，然後派他們去葡萄園。
3「大約上午九點鐘，園主出去看見一些人站在街市上無所事事， 4就對他們說，『你們到我的葡萄園來工作吧，我會給你們合理的工錢。』
5「他們便去了。正午和下午三點鐘，他又出去繼續請人到葡萄園做工。 6到了下午五點鐘的時候，他再次出去，看見還有人閒站在那裡，就問他們，『為什麼你們整天站在這裡無所事事呢？』 7他們回答說，『因為沒有人僱用我們。』園主說，『你們也到我的葡萄園來吧！』
8「到了傍晚，園主對工頭說，『叫工人來領工錢吧，最晚來的先領，最先來的後領。』
9「下午五點來的工人每人得了一個銀幣。 10最早來的工人來領的時候，以為必定可以多得一點工錢，誰知也各得一個銀幣。
11「他們拿著工錢滿腹牢騷地對園主說， 12『那些最晚來的人只工作了一小時，而我們在烈日之下辛苦了一整天，怎麼會領同樣的工錢呢？』
13「園主對他們當中的一個人說，『朋友，我並沒有欠你呀！我們不是講好付你一個銀幣嗎？ 14拿著你的工錢走吧。我給那後來的和你一樣的工錢，是我願意。 15難道我不可隨意使用自己的錢嗎？因為我慷慨，你就眼紅嗎？』 16因此，為首的將要殿後，殿後的將要為首。」
耶穌第三次預言自己受難
17在去耶路撒冷的途中，耶穌把十二個門徒帶到一邊，對他們說： 18「你們要留意，我們現在前往耶路撒冷，人子將被交給祭司長和律法教師。他們要判祂死刑， 19把祂交給外族人，受嘲弄、鞭打，被釘在十字架上。但第三天祂必復活。」
一個母親的請求
20當時，西庇太的妻子帶著兩個兒子上前，跪在耶穌面前，有事要求祂。
21耶穌問她：「你要什麼呢？」
她說：「在你的國度，請讓我這兩個兒子一個坐在你右邊，一個坐在你左邊。」
22耶穌回答說：「你們不知道自己在求什麼。我要喝的那一杯，你們能喝嗎？」
他們說：「我們能。」
23耶穌對他們說：「我要喝的那一杯，你們也要喝。不過誰坐在我的左右不是我來定，而是我父為誰預備的，就讓誰坐。」
24其他十個門徒聽見這事，都對他們兄弟二人十分惱火。 25於是，耶穌把他們叫來，說：「外族人有君王統治他們，有大臣管理他們。但你們不可這樣。 26你們中間，誰要當首領，誰就要做大家的僕人； 27誰要居首位，誰就要做大家的奴僕。 28正如人子不是來受人服侍，而是來服侍人，並且犧牲性命，作許多人的贖價。」
治好兩個瞎子
29耶穌和祂的門徒離開耶利哥時，有一大群人跟著祂。 30有兩個瞎子正坐在路旁，聽說耶穌經過，就高聲喊叫：「主啊，大衛的後裔啊，可憐我們吧！」 31眾人責備他們，叫他們不要出聲，他們卻喊得更大聲了：「主啊，大衛的後裔啊，可憐我們吧！」
32耶穌停下腳步，叫了他們來，問他們：「你們要我為你們做什麼？」 33他們說：「主啊，我們想能夠看見。」 34耶穌就動了慈心，摸他們的眼睛，他們立刻得見光明，並跟從了耶穌。
